A former San Francisco company, which prided itself on providing people with special needs job opportunities will be paying over $43,000 in back wages as a result of violating minimum wage laws, reports San Francisco wage and hour lawyer Eric Grover of the Keller Grover law firm.

An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) found that the now-defunct Disabled Employees Rehabilitation Inc. and the company’s president, Bregy Van Cleve, violated federal minimum wage laws for a year, the San Francisco Appeal reported.

The company and its president now must pay $43,000 in back wages and $9,900 in civil penalties to nine employees. The owed wages ranged from $81.58 to $12,180.

According to Disabled Employees Rehabilitation’s Facebook page, the company prided themselves on “a positive, nurturing and healthy environment for the physically and intellectually disabled adults to learn skills, feel empowered and be productive.”

“This should not have happened, and the fact that it was being done under the cloak of an organization presenting itself as having a charitable purpose just makes all these violations all the more shameful,” the labor department said.

The employees completed “labor-intensive handiwork and assembly projects with a focus on quality and quick turn-around time,” in the company’s 6,000-square-foot warehouse, located at 2405 Third Street in the Dogpatch neighborhood. This included tasks like assembling and packaging iPhone wallets and cases, as well as toys, first aid kits and soap, according to the wage theft lawsuit filed in the San Francisco U.S. District Court.

Although wage laws do allow some employers to pay special needs employees with physical or mental disabilities wages that are below the federally mandated minimum wage, they also must be certified showing they are meeting strict regulations. Disabled Employees Rehabilitation was not certified, according to the DOL.

“This is a gross example of a business profiting on the backs of employees who may have no idea they are being cheated, says Grover, a San Francisco wage and hour lawyer. “If you have a loved one who has special needs and is employed, please check over their wage statements to ensure they aren’t being shorted. We need to fight for what’s right for those who may not have the ability or resources to fight for themselves.”

The San Francisco employment attorneys at the California wage and hour law firm of Keller Grover have been helping victims of wage theft recover lost wages since 2005. To learn more about wage laws and if you’ve been a victim contact, Keller Grover at 888.601. 6939.